musical collaborations

dumama & Kechou

“Using the rich complexities of the multi-faceted experience in post truth and reconciliation South Africa; the never-ending contradictions, politics of love and spirit life as inspiration; emerging musician Dumama (born Gugulethu Duma) collaborates with Kechou (born Kerim Melik Becker) building live loops on the spot with hand-made instruments inspired by African innovation. The duo is reflecting on simple sounds, the tonal emergence and decay of these sounds and the different elements of the universe that exist and are reflected within the soundscapes for their own meditations on decoloniality. This creates fertile foundations for rewriting our narratives to create transformations not just in the African context, but also in making substantial contributions towards the global narratives, for necessary reflection and collective healing.”- Dumama

Mel Mwevi & Kechou

“The duo met at a TedX function in Cape Town, 2016, where Mel took the stage with an original spoken word piece called ‘Cough Coughʼ. The essence of the poem touches on uncomfortable realities around racism and its complexities and multi-faceted existence in global society. Kerim and Mel connected after the festival and noticed their shared desire to confront the realities of this world and carry these truths through feeling and authentic storytelling, the two have been creating ever since.” - Mel Mwevi

Akuvi & Kechou

“Neo-soul meets reggae and hip hop through soulful vocals and advanced live looping. Kechou, of German-Algerian descent and Akuvi who has roots in Ghana and Norway explore their multi-cultural identities through sounds that mirror urbanized Africa, contemporary hip hop and black American expression. Akuvi’s songwriting are diary pages turned into poetry with melody. Combined with the sounds put together by multi-instrumentalist Kechou, the duo takes you on a dreamy, soulful and personal journey through their music.” - Akuvi